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Infographic: US can counter extremism across the globe

In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, a man stands in the rubble, and calls out asking if anyone needs help, after the collapse of the first World Trade Center Tower in New York
AFP

The United States needs a new national security strategy to prevent the spread of extremism in fragile states, the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission warn in a new report. The report entitled 'Beyond the Homeland: Protecting America from Extremism in Fragile States,' is released Tuesday on the 17th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks to address the 9/11 Commission’s unfulfilled call for the US to adopt a preventive strategy to reduce the spread of extremism. The report details how extremism is fuelling growing instability and security threats to the United States in fragile states, and how America’s rivals -- China and Russia -- are exploiting this disorder to expand their power and influence. Extremist groups have evolved, especially over the past decade, focusing not just on attacking the West but also on establishing political orders that offer frustrated populations alternatives to corrupt and ineffective governments, the report states. One prominent example was the Islamic State terrorist group’s attempts to build a 'caliphate' in parts of Iraq, offering an alternative to the Shia-dominated central government